Bill limiting solitary confinement in N.J. heads to Christie

TRENTON -- A bill strictly limiting the use of solitary confinement in New Jersey's prisons is headed to Gov. Chris Christie's desk after being passed by the state Assembly.

The bill requires prisons and jails to use solitary confinement only as a last resort, restricting its use to 15 consecutive days or 20 days in a two-month period.

It also bans the practice for inmates who are mentally ill, pregnant or have other special needs, and requires daily medical evaluations for prisoners in solitary.

The measure is part of a national movement to limit or ban solitary confinement, which prison reform advocates and mental health experts say can do permanent psychological damage if an inmate is kept in isolation too long.

State prison officials maintain New Jersey doesn't use solitary confinement at all, saying the Department of Corrections uses only "restrictive housing units." The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has called the state's definition a distinction without a difference.

Alexander Shalom, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU-NJ, called the bill's passage "a watershed moment for civil rights and human rights in New Jersey" and urged Christie to sign it into law.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.